Sept. 22, 2015
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) -- Passion defines UCF defensive lineman Luke Adams' life.
The Pensacola native has displayed passion through his academics by taking on challenging courses -- his electives are physics and chemistry -- and maintaining an American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team status.
Likewise on the football field, his passion has led him up the depth chart from practice squad player to starting defensive lineman and a two-time conference champion for the Knights.
After volunteer work last summer in a prosthetic and orthotics office, Adams has found his passion when it comes to his future career.
"If this is something that sparks their interest, you can see it in their eyes," said Stan Patterson, a certified prosthetist and founder of Prosthetic & Orthotics Associates. "You saw that in him. I don't care what you are, a football coach, a professional athlete or a prosthetist, you have to be passionate about it, and he showed a lot of passion."
At Prosthetic & Orthotics Associates, Adams spent the Summer B semester as an apprentice to Patterson. From the end of June to early August, Adams worked in the office three times a week to observe, learn and gain experience in his desired profession.
Although he did not actually make a prosthetic limb itself, Adams did get a hands-on opportunity when he was able to build carbon graphite socket for a limb that was eventually placed on an amputee.
"I think it's awesome to be able to see someone take that first step and see people do things they've never been able to do before," he said.
If it wasn't for Adams' brother in-law, a certified prosthetist, he probably wouldn't have the passion for prosthetics that he has today. While visiting his brother in-law, Adams observed the work put in and the impact prosthetics limbs can have on people's lives, sparking his own interest in the field.
His brother in-law wasn't the only family member to have an impact on his life.
His grandfather, Fred Pancoast, was the quarterbacks coach at the University of Florida when Steve Spurrier won the Heisman trophy in 1966. Adams' father, Mark, later played under Pancoast and ended up marrying Pancoast's daughter, Karen, who at the time was also a cheerleader.
With that athletic background, it's no wonder his brother Jake played baseball at both Louisiana Tech and Rice while his older brother, Matt, played football at Memphis.
"I'm blessed to have the family I have," Adams said. "They can watch a game and can give me an honest answer (on how I played). They know what's going on."
Now a senior at UCF, Adams holds a leadership role on a young Knights football team that has seen incredible highs in the past two seasons. Being part of the back-to-back conference championship teams, Adams knows exactly what it feels like to achieve this goal at the end of the season.
"To see that hard work pay off is the best feeling in the world," Adams said.
Majoring in sports and exercise science, Adams looks toward a career in prosthetics and orthotics post-graduation. The legacy that he is leaving on and off the field is not going unnoticed.
Patterson, a former collegiate football player himself at North Alabama, had nothing but high praise for Adams for his work this summer.
"If he's as dedicated on the football field as he is to what he was doing with us, no wonder he's been a success out there," Patterson said. "I see a bright future in that young man."
Story by Joshua Dickens